A big part of my beautifully imperfect creative journey (like many of us) came in 2020 when we were sitting at home with nothing to do.

I was grateful to have my laptop, a comfy bed, an amazing musical and life partner, and pretty much had the world at my fingertips.

If you’ve heard of the term “YouTube University”, then you probably know exactly what I did — used YouTube as my own little training ground. I was used to going into NYC for acting classes 4 times a week at the Esper Studio, so had to figure out a way to continue learning and learning and learning through finding the best blog websites to pursue my artistry.

Since then, I’ve happened upon quite a few of the best blogs and YouTube channels for my personal artistic growth. And the funny thing is, none of them actually had to do with specifically being a singer-songwriter and performer, but how to use knowledge to apply it to my creative career.

Here are some of my favorites and why I think they would greatly help you in your artistic journey.

Best Blogs & YouTube Channels For Artists (Kira’s Picks)

1. Deya: Soft Entrepreneurship & Freelancing

I can confidently say that Deya has been the reason why I was able to start becoming a full-time freelancer. She has given me so much valuable information for free about things like how to…

• Get my first client
• Raise my prices
• Instill contracts
• Get recurring income so freelancing isn’t so sporadic
• Work with good clients and ditch the bad ones
• Create boundaries for myself in my business
• Know when to scale and hire out help

What was even cooler was that because of her insight on freelancing, she actually found me on a freelancing platform and I got the chance to help her write some of her YouTube scripts! Soooo cool.

This was one video I helped script (The Office fans unite):

Safe to say, this was an incredibly cool full-circle moment. She helped me get to where I am today, and now she’s in my contacts. And genuinely, I believe she’s one of the best channels on YouTube to provide real, tangible value and takeaways. I feel like I should have paid for all the knowledge I’ve gotten from her — she’s that good.

Who This Channel Is Great For

• Creatives looking to create a full-time income from freelancing
• Those looking to have a not-exhausting, full-time, remote job while creating your own rules
• Artists who have digital marketing experience (or are open to learning) so they can have location freedom and finances available to travel, invest in their art, etc.

2. Xo MaCenna: DIY Home (Studio) Design

This was one of the best YouTube channels for me during 2020, as it helped me get out of the house and step into my first thrift store.

What does the best blog (IMO) about thrifting have to do with creativity? Well, I talk about the concept of a “home studio” a lot — or the idea of designing your home as your own creative space.

My whole concept of a home studio is making a part of your living space (or the entire living space) a space conducive to creativity. You want to make it easy to create, and you want it to be inspiring and cozy.

And let’s face it — shopping at Home Goods for everything can get expensive and not super sustainable for you or the planet.

Thrifting was a miracle for me during the pandemic, and it taught me how much it’s a gift for anyone creative. Thrifting helps you:

• Design your home studio within a budget
• Curate your home like you’d curate your art/music/performances
• Practice having a creative plan for something and executing it within budget and resource constraints while getting crafting (DIYing!)

One of MaCenna’s more recent ones was a vintage nursery makeover, and I think it’s just such a great way of showing how something comes together from an idea. She saw a picture on Pinterest she loved, and did an amazing job recreating simply by romanticizing creating it herself. She fished through the flea market, did some DIYing, and created it.

Ultimately, this is what creating your art is. Imagining something, and making it freaking happen.

Who This Channel Is Great For

• Creatives who own a home or are renting a home for a while who want to design it for creativity within a budget
• Artists who are at a standstill in their art and need a way to create
• Anyone whose stuck to a computer all day and wants to use their hands to create something unique for their home

3. Ali Abdaal: Real-Talk Business & Productivity

I love Ali because he tells it like it is. If you first see his channel, you wouldn’t think that it’s for creatives — and honestly, he probably wouldn’t say that either.

But as I always say, your art is a creative business. So just like any other entrepreneur, you should know the strategy, mindset, and productivity hacks for running a successful (creative) business.

He gives a lot of information, and as he realizes too, not everything will resonate with you, and that’s totally fine. The important thing is that it teaches you a lot of different ways to focus, and you can pick which ones work.

Something I love about Ali is that he focuses a lot on productivity — how to get things done that triggers delight and not dread. If you’re on the path of trying to work in digital marketing or on a non-tiring remote job, I think you should listen to Deya for specific freelancing strategies and Ali on how to sustain it through productivity practices.

Here’s one I watched recently that I really liked:

Who This Channel Is Great For

• Those looking to scale their businesses
• Creatives who know that with a little more organization and productivity focus, they could get a lot more done
• Those who don’t have time to read productivity books but want to make their day-to-day lives easier

4. Tonic Site Shop: Digital Marketing & Website Strategy

Tonic is probably best known for their cheeky, “weird” emails, but their YouTube channel and blog certainly don’t fall short.

They’re such a great blog, YouTube channel and newsletter for digital marketing because they really talk like they’re chatting with their best friends (and use hot topics as a way to teach).

Their main selling point is their Showit website templates (which are stunning), but they provide lots of digital marketing tips and strategies to help you market your own business.

They also give hot takes on trending news, like Stanley Cups taking over the internet, which is why I feel like they stand out as one of the best blogs out there — they make digital marketing truly captivating, even for non-marketers.

Who This Blog Is Great For

• Creatives looking to build their brand and monetize their audience
• Artists who want to learn about marketing is a really fun and cute way

5. Architectural Digest: Home Studio Inspiration

As an interior design lover, I love seeing the newest trends in design to see how ideas might work in a room I’m designing.

My favorite part of AD is the Open Door series that shows you a tour of a celebrity’s home. More than just showing you the space itself (which is inspiring all on its own), it really shows the intention that’s been put into their space, and there are so many different styles to choose from.

Going back to the idea of your home studio, getting home inspiration from AD is the best blog website to seeing something done on a high budget, professional level and seeing how you can create it with the resources you have.

Like, perhaps, how you can draw inspiration producing a Broadway-level production with a community theatre budget.

You love Bryce Dallas Howard’s home but can’t afford a fraction of what’s there? Find what you love about it. Is it the colors, the shapes, the patterns, the furniture? From there, you can create a Pinterest mood board and start going to thrift stores (just like I mentioned Macenna does above) and create your own version.

Now, you’re in a space that’s just as inspiring as a celebrity’s designed by a high-end designer… without spending what it costs.

Who This Channel Is Great For

• Those looking to add some vibe to their home studio
• Creatives who want something to create from the ground up
• Anyone who wants to find their style

7. Violet Gaze: Creative Lifestyle Tips & Inspirations from a Budding Singer-Songwriter

I’m going to give myself a shameless little plug here. If you want some of my experience building my creative lifestyle as a singer-songwriter, then I’d love for you to follow along with us!

There’s a bit of everything — chatting about my process, how I manifest my goals, and vlogging about my journey with my band, She Sees Faeries, through this wonderful creative path.

Join our YouTube community and let’s grow in our creative journey together. 🥰